Getting acquainted with your food
Is that can good for you? 10 things to know when reading a food label
Published on September 17, 2024
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Food labels carry useful information for the informed reader. That may sound like a joke but it’s not. Most of us have casually tried to decipher the meaning of all those strange words and numbers on the back of a processed food item but gave up with little to show for it.
Most packaged foods are required to have a label with all sorts of information, including their ingredients, nutritional value, weights and measures, date, directions for use and storage, allergens, and more. Scroll down and learn more about these valuable details!
Dates
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Foods with a shelf life of less than two years must have a best-before or use-by date. But, while it sounds similar, these terms mean different things. The best-before date refers to food quality: food stored in the recommended way will remain of good quality until that date. Once the best-before date has passed, the food may still be safe to consume, but it may have lost some quality and nutritional value.
On the other hand, products with a use-by date on food labels should not be consumed after a certain date for health and safety reasons must-have a use-by date. This means they cannot be sold after that date.
Ingredients
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Every label worth its salt must have its ingredients listed in descending order by weight, including added water. The first ingredient listed is present in the largest amount by weight, and the last one listed is present in the least amount by weight.
If an ingredient makes up less than 5% of the food, it does not have to be listed. However, this 5% rule does not apply to any additive or allergen. These must be listed no matter how small the amount.
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Food additives
Food additives can be used to improve the quality of a food or improve the flavour or appearance of a food. They must be used in the lowest possible quantity to achieve their purpose. These substances are included in the ingredient list according to their class and purpose (for example, anti-caking agent).
In most cases, a chemical name or food additive number will be listed after the class. For example, enzymes and most flavourings only need to list their class name or number. Luckily, the same food additive numbering system is used throughout the world.
Nutrition Information Panel
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The nutrition information panel tells the quantity of various nutrients a food contains per serve, as well as per 100 g or 100 ml. That serving size is determined by the manufacturer and will often vary among products.
This panel lists the energy content, proteins, total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugars, and sodium. Very small packages and foods like herbs, spices, salt, tea and coffee, or single-ingredient foods don´t need to show this information.
Nutritional claims
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This one is tricky. The terms used by manufacturers present their products in a very positive light, even when there is no real value to be found.
For example, the term ‘light’ or ‘lite’ doesn’t necessarily mean that the product is low in fat, but it may refer to the texture, colour or taste of the product. If an item claims to be 93% fat-free, it contains 7% fat, but it looks so much better the other way. ‘Baked not fried’ sounds healthier, but it may still have just as much fat.
Percentage Daily Intake
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Percentage Daily Intake (%DI) symbols display a product’s nutrient amount as one serving, and the percentage of an average adult’s requirements that it provides.
These symbols display energy, and other nutrients, like fat, sugars, sodium, carbohydrates, protein and a vitamin or mineral.
Keep in mind that %DI is based on serving size and, since serving sizes vary as they are set by manufacturers, it can be difficult to use when comparing products.
Allergens on food labels
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Perhaps the most important item on this list is the information about food allergies or intolerance. Foods or ingredients that may cause severe adverse reactions must be declared on the label no matter how small the amount.
Common foods that may cause allergies are peanuts and other nuts, fish and shellfish, milk, eggs, wheat, sesame seeds and soy, among others. Gluten-containing cereals also need to be declared on food labels for people with conditions like celiac disease.
Country of origin
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This type of labelling details where the product was grown, produced, made or packaged. Most packaged food must have a country of origin label if it's sold in a retail setting, such as a supermarket, local store or market, online or from a vending machine.
Sugar types
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Different types of sugar have different names. Food manufacturers may use this to their advantage by purposely adding many different types of sugar to their products to hide the actual amount and, by doing so, they can list a healthier ingredient at the top, mentioning sugar further down. So even though a product may be loaded with sugar, it doesn’t necessarily appear as one of the first three ingredients.
To avoid inadvertently consuming a lot of sugar, watch out for any ingredients with the word "sugar", or "syrup", on their composed names.
Sodium types
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In the same way it happens with sugar, sodium also can be disguised under many different names. For example, there’s salt, sodium benzoate, disodium or monosodium glutamate, to name a few.
This is important to know because too much sodium can raise blood pressure, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day.
